The present invention relates to a bait casting fishing reel and, more particularly, to an improved level wind mechanism forming a part of a bait casting reel.
The bait casting fishing reel has become the reel of choice among skilled fisherman, particularly when used for bass fishing. Because of the habitat favored by bass, accurate casting is required to avoid having the line or bait become tangled in various obstacles, such as logs, branches and water plants. Skilled anglers find that they can more accurately cast with a bait casting reel than with a spinning or spin casting reel.
In seeking to improve bait casting fishing reels, attempts are being made to reduce their weight. Nearly full advantage has been made of new, lighter-weight materials in constructing the reel. Thus, it now seems that the most significant weight reductions may be the result of reducing the size of the reel. However, decreasing the size of the reel also may result in decreasing the line capacity, which is undesirable.
Also, for a given size spool of line, the size of the reel and, more specifically, the width of the reel, has been governed by the space required for the level wind mechanism. The level wind is typically located in front of the reel and helps insure that the fishing line is evenly wound upon the spool as it is reeled in.
The general design of the level wind mechanism has remained unchanged for over 100 years and is typified by that illustrated in FIG. 1. (See also, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 2,204,125 to Dayton). The level wind mechanism 1 employs a screw or shaft 2 mounted between the reel side plates 3 for rotation in parallel alignment with the spool 4. The shaft 2 comprises a worm gear that has a continuous thread 5 cut in both directions so that the thread 5 crosses back on itself several times along the axis of the shaft. The shaft 2 includes a sleeve, block or equivalent structure 6 slidingly mounted thereon that includes a pawl or claw (not shown) that engages the thread 5 so that, as the shaft 2 is rotated by means of the handle 7, the sleeve traverses back and forth in front of the full width of the spool 4. The sleeve also supports a line guide 8 through which the fishing line is threaded. Accordingly, the line guide 8 moves back and forth in front of the spool as the line is wound in, in order to evenly distribute the line on the spool.
The level wind is generally a complicated mechanism requiring several small parts and precise machining. It is also one of the more expensive components of the reel assembly and requires major disassembly to repair. The level wind mechanism is also sufficiently complex to make it virtually impossible to repair in the field.
It should be noted that in order to have the line guide 8 travel the full width of the spool, the worm gear and pawl arrangement require a spacing between the side plates that is wider then the spool. Further, as can be appreciated, excessive wear is caused to the worm gear and/or pawl where the thread crosses itself.
Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide for a lighter weight bait casting reel that has more line capacity than comparably-sized, presently available reels.
More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a level wind mechanism that permits the width of the spool to be increased without increasing the overall width of the reel.
It is a further object to provide a level wind mechanism that is simpler to manufacture, longer wearing, and is easy to install.
These objects, as well as others which will become apparent upon reference to the accompanying drawings and following description, are provided by a fishing reel with side walls with a spool shaft rotatably supported therebetween. The spool shaft supports the spool that holds the fishing line. A handle shaft is provided that includes a driving gear that engages a pinion on the spool shaft for winding in the fishing line upon the spool. A level wind having a generally transverse shaft is rotatably secured between the side walls in front of the spool. The transverse shaft is adapted to be rotated by the driving gear, and is formed at a central portion to provide two spaced-apart, generally parallel faces disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the shaft. The obliquely-oriented portion of the shaft is rotatably captured by a member having an eyelet associated therewith through which the fishing line is threaded. The member and its associated eyelet oscillate back and forth in front of the spool upon rotation of the transverse member by the driving gear, so that when the fishing line is reeled in, it is wound evenly along the length of the spool. In one embodiment, the obliquely-oriented faces are provided by forming the central portion of the shaft with a slot, and a portion of the transverse shaft between the two parallel faces of the slot is substantially perpendicular to the faces. In another embodiment, the obliquely oriented faces are the opposite faces of a disk-like member supported on the central portion of the transverse shaft. The level wind may also be driven by means of a slotted star wheel (i.e., a xe2x80x9cGeneva motionxe2x80x9d mechanism) in order to have the line either cross wound or helically wound upon the spool. In the case of cross winding, it is possible to make the line xe2x80x9cjerkxe2x80x9d as each slot of the star wheel is engaged, thus producing a jigging motion to the lure or bait as the line is reeled in.